Even though gigafactory groundbreaking has been confirmed by Tesla to be underway outside of Reno, Nevada, truth is that Tesla is sticking to its plan to “break ground” at several sites, which means that California still has a chance to secure the battery gigafactory.

In fact, it may be that California is the front-runner, especially with news of recent California bill with urgency status attached to it.

According to USA Today:

“California’s legislature has another bill on deck that could bolster its chances of becoming the home to Tesla Motor’s giant battery plant, and the up to 6,500 jobs it could create.”

“California has reentered the race and closed the gap with the other states,” said Tesla spokesman Simon Sproule in an interview Thursday. He says the change has come through the state’s efforts to speed up the approval process. “Now, the state has indicated that (it) wants to move as quickly as we need (it) to move.”

Speed or urgency is not typically a California strong point among the state’s legislators, but that seems to be changing in regards to the gigafactory.

“…two state senators, a Democrat and a Republican, are sponsoring an “urgency” bill that would provide additional, unspecified, benefits for Tesla. “This factory would help us achieve the dual goals of strengthening our economy, and fostering clean technology and renewable energy,” said the Democrat, Senate Pro Tem President Darrell Steinberg. “California is where this factory belongs.”

Reports USA Today.

This stealth bill could be exactly what’s needed to assure that the gigafactory ends up in California. If the benefits are favorable enough towards Tesla, then we’d expect California to move into the #1 spot as the state most likely to be home to the future gigafactory.